MATCH PREVIEW: Kidderminster Harriers vs Wealdstone
- Aryan Jolly
- 24 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Tuesday night saw the Stones secure an excellent two-one victory over Brackley Town to move them into 14th place in the National League, but focus now turns to the cup as they travel to Kidderminster in the FA Trophy Quarter-final.
The Basics
Date: Saturday, February 28
Venue: Aggborough Stadium, Kidderminster, DY10 1NB
Competition: The Isuzu FA Trophy
Kick Off Time: 3:00pm
Broadcast Information: N/A
News From The Vale
Following the important victory against Brackley on Tuesday, Enzio Boldewijn was relieved that the team “got the job done.” You can find a write-up of his post-match reaction here.
Two of the Stones’ outstanding performers against the Saints, Sean Adarkwa and Dom Hutchinson, spoke to club media simultaneously after full-time. Hutchinson thought the team put in a “mature performance”, whilst Adarkwa praised his teammate, who “deserved” to be Man of the Match. You can watch their full post-game interview here.
For those of you who are planning on making the journey to the West Midlands on Saturday, please note that tickets for the game are only available to purchase online, and they can be bought via the link below:
The Wealdstone FC Supporters Club is running a coach to the game, which will depart The Vale at 9:30am. Please click here for more information and to book your seat on the coach.
Saj Vigneswaran’s Wealdstone FC Women’s side continued their recent imperious form as they secured a three-nil victory over East Finchley FC in the JGMT Cup on Sunday!
Beth Walker, Emma O’Hare and Gabi Racut were on the scoresheet as the Stones progressed into the third round of the competition and extended their winning run to nine consecutive games!
Well done to the under-11’s team from Saint Bernadette’s Primary School who represented the Stones in the National League Trust U11 Regional tournament earlier this week. The boys put in a number of excellent performances and secured some big wins as they represented the Stones with immense passion!
The Opposition
Recent form: DLDDW
League Position: 4th (National League North)
Kidderminster Harriers will pose a considerable threat to the Stones on Saturday as they have spent much of the last decade fighting at the top end of the sixth tier, or in the National League.
After parting ways with former Premier League manager Phil Brown in the summer, the Harriers hired Adam Murray, who had previously achieved success in the sixth tier with AFC Fylde and Eastbourne Borough.
The Worcestershire-based side have enjoyed a good season thus far as they sit fourth in the National League North, albeit a fair way off the top two. They went through somewhat of a dip in form recently, but bounced back emphatically on Tuesday night as they beat Marine by four goals to nil, meaning they have lost just once since late November.
In the opposition dugout - Adam Murray: As previously mentioned, Murray only arrived in the West Midlands in the summer, but he has done yet another good job for a side near the top of the sixth tier.
Murray started his managerial career with Mansfield Town, where he led the Stags for over 100 games as they survived relegation and began to push up the League Two table.
After a spell at Boston United and a stint as a coach, he returned to the dugout with AFC Fylde in 2022. Murray won the National League North Manager of the Month award in November 2023 as he led the club to the title.
His most recent managerial stint came with Eastbourne Borough. The 44-year-old saved the club from relegation in his first season before guiding them to within one point of the league title during the following campaign.
The danger man - Reece Devine: In a Harriers squad packed full of quality and experience, the player who is actually providing the most goals for them at the moment is left-back Reece Devine.
The 24-year-old spent time in the youth systems at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United and had loans in the Scottish Premiership and League Two before arriving at Aggborough in the summer of 2024.
Devine had a solid first season, establishing himself as a regular starter and putting in a number of solid performances, but he has taken his game to the next level this season.
Despite primarily being a defender, he has scored seven times in just 32 games for the Harriers, and he got a brace last time out against Marine. Devine also possesses an excellent left foot, which makes him one of the side’s primary creative threats.
Buy Your Tickets Now!
The Stones are one of just eight National League teams left in the FA Trophy, and have an excellent chance of going deep in the competition if they can get over the line on Saturday.
